1997 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer V-8 review from North America

Brakes wore out at 103,000 miles (Replaced them)

Center Console has worn badly.

Coolant Leakage (Easily Fixed)

Suspension wore horribly - needs new suspension.

I Bought this car in 2000 after previously owning a '94 Explorer LX. The first thing that surprised me about this car was its performance; it's FAST, and you can really feel the car gaining speed. The accelerator pedal is jumpy as well - one little push propells the car forward pretty quickly. I'm thinking about selling this car for a Mustang GT or Probe GT, but I'm afraid these two cars won't accelerate as fastly as the Explorer!

The car has been relatively low maintenance - the two trouble spots have been brakes and suspension. The suspension was bad from the start - you can feel every little bump or crack - even going 5 mph over a speed bumb, the car shakes and rattles. New brakes were pricey, and I expect new suspension will be as well. Additionally, the Explorer is quite a gas guzzler. The interior fittings are very nice, with a 6 cd player and leather which has worn quite nicely.

I've gone offroading once or twice, and have found the Explorer to be pretty well adapted to roads without pavement (nowhere near as well preforming as my friend's Jeep Wrangler). The Explorer is also well sutied for drives around town - the interior is comfy enough, and there is tons of space for groceries or hardware.

Overall, I've found the explorer to be good means of transportation - it's nothing exciting, but it will get you from point A to point B in a nice fashion.